1. Credentialing in the Early Care and Education Field

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Early Child Development - June 29, 2016

A new report, spearheaded by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, examines comprehensive career pathway systems in the early childhood education (ECE) field. The report provides a national landscape of states' requirements for ECE staff related to credentialing, introduces a career pathways framework in use by several federal agencies, and highlights five states at various points in the development of ECE career pathways. It also offers recommendations for states and the field as they work to design strong, comprehensive pathway systems intended to meet the skill, employment, and advancement needs of individuals entering the ECE field. See Early Learning Career Pathways Initiative: Credentialing in the Early Care and Education Field (June 2016).

2. 2016-18 "Learn the Signs. Act Early." State Systems Grants

The "Learn the Signs. Act Early." (LTSAE) program provides
educational information to parents, health care professionals and early care
and education providers about the importance of early identification and
intervention for children with signs of autism spectrum disorder and other
developmental disabilities. Recently, 12 states and jurisdictions were awarded 2016-18 Developmental Monitoring with State Systems grants designed to increase parent-engaged developmental monitoring by promoting the integration of LTSAE materials into programs and statewide systems that serve young children and their families. To learn more about each grantee's goals, activity areas, and teams, see AMCHP Overview: 2016-18 Learn the Signs. Act Early. State Systems Grants. The grantees include Guam, the Virgin Islands, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

3. 2016 Grants from National Center for Special Education Research

Source: National Center for Special Education Research - July 1, 2016

Thirty-six Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 grants for education research related to students with disabilities and/or those at risk for disabilities were recently funded
through the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). A number of these grants will focus on topics related to Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education. View descriptions and structured abstracts for these awards here.

Additionally, the NCSER has awarded 7 new FY 2016 grants for programs that provide training to prepare individuals to conduct rigorous and relevant special education and early intervention research. View the descriptions and structured abstracts for these awards here.

4. The Road to High-Quality Early Education: Lessons from the States

Source: Learning Policy Institute - June 29, 2016

A new report, The Road to High-Quality Early Education: Lessons from the States (June 2016), describes and analyzes the work of four states (Michigan, West Virginia, Washington and North Carolina) to build high-quality early education systems. The experiences of these states provide important lessons about how to best leverage resources and develop policies and practices to improve and expand early learning opportunities. Some common elements of their success include strategies that:

5. 2014 Head Start and Early Head Start Profiles

Source: CLASP - June 29, 2016

CLASP recently released their 2014 Head Start and Early Head Start Profiles. The profiles provide 2014 data on participating children, families, and staff in all Early Head Start, Head Start, and Migrant Head Start programs in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data is derived from the Program Information Report (PIR) that all Head Start grantees complete.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

eNotes is compiled and distributed by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA Center), pursuant to cooperative agreement H326P120002 with the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education (ED). Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express their judgment in professional and technical matters. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the Department of Education's position or policy.